Vijay Siva presented a rare and memorable commentary-filled concert for Jaya TV. He was supported by R.K.Shriramkumar on the violin and Manoj Siva on the Mridangam. The theme of the concert was "Ayul, Aishwaryam, Arokyam". The subject was covered with a great deal of humor and deep insights from saint composers of carnatic music. Although lofty thoughts and concepts were presented, at no time did one feel preached or talked down to in the same spirit as the original compositions. Pure and serene devotional music in tandem with the sharp insights made for a memorable evening.

1. Ayul, Arogyam and Aishwaryam are only means to an end and are given to us by God so that we may serve God and ultimately be granted Sayujyam (or Moksham). This is reflected in the kriti Mayuranatham.

When Brahma grants us Ayul, his calculation is based on so many breaths rather than months and years. Vijay Siva's penchant for mental arithmetic came to the fore here. He said we should measure people's Ayul based on how they use these alloted number of breaths rather than how long they really live. So a person who remains calm and composed and is able to extend his or her life by optimum use of breathing should be called Deerghayushman and one who fritters away breaths by giving in to rage and passion should be considered as a short-timer irrespective of the number of years they lived.

2. In Karu Baru, Thyagaraja says that that all the people in Ayodhya were blessed with Ayul and Vidhya. Vijay commented that this was because Vidhya leads to Vinayam (Vidura neethi?) and Vinayam results in Ayul. A pre-requisite for Deergha ayul is humility.

3. The next topic was Aishwaryam. Vijay said that in order to be showered with Aishwarya, doing one thing is sufficient and that is to cherish one's wife. This does not mean that you have to do archana to her. He remarked mischievously that frequently it is the other way around. In Ma Janaki, Thyagaraja says that Sri Rama became a Maharaja for solely one reason - because he showered Sita with his love. According to the puranas only 2 people have been bestowed with the title "Maharaja". The first is the original Manu and the second is Kubera. Sita mentions (don't remember reference) that in all the years after her wedding, she never had a chance to go back and visit her parents' but did not miss it because of the love Rama heaped on her.

4. Vijay stayed on the topic of Aishwaryam for the next song. He said Aishwaryam should never be received in a torrent (kooraiya pichundu). Only two people who received wealth in this manner were able to come out of it well. One was kuchela and the other slips my mind. Wealth has to be made slowly and steadily, which is why Purandaradasa asks Lakshmi to come slowly. In the song, he says that Lakshmi should come like butter comes out of buttermilk when churned (Majigey ulahina...). There are three things supposedly a woman does that pleases Lakshmi: Vaasal thelichu kolam podaradhu (translations welcome!), feeding her husband and churning buttermilk for butter.

5. Vijay next moved on to Arogyam. The primary influence of health is what you eat and how you eat it. Our culture encourages eating while sitting on the floor. Vijay said that there was no concept of dining room furniture in India and he suggested googling 3rd century AD Indian dining room furniture to confirm his point The reason for sitting on the floor is because the body sends the signal of being full at the right time (when the stomach is half full) through burping. Sitting on a chair delays this signal and hence we don't stop when we should. He joked that the signal is seriously compromised when having a buffet meal and it fires only when you have already eaten thrice what you actually should.

6. What you eat is equally important. You should not drink water with your meal unless absolutely necessary. In fact you may drink water up to an hour before or couple of hours after the meal. Also, mixing urad dhal and curd is equivalent to consuming poison, he remarked with apologies to the thair vadai lovers in the crowd. Items like onions and garlic are taken occassionally only for their medicinal value and not as food.

Well It was not very long ago that the French President Sarkozy was here in India and a French joke would not be out of place .
from a Readers Digest of the 70s .

In the French Parliament,one of the Deputies making a speech urging the improvement of legal status of women cried:
â€œAfter all there is very little difference between men and women!â€
With one accord, the entire chamber of Deputies rose and shouted as one man:
â€œVive La difference!"

7. Vijay continued with his focus on Arogyam. Going back to dietary habits, he said that it is important we sit down and eat. Even most animals sit down before they eat. Only humans and buffaloes practice peripatetic eating. In the song Etula Brotuvo, Thyagaraja says repentantly that all these years I have been eating and wandering like a buffalo (patti maadu).

8. The song vetta veli thannil is full of irony. The sidhdhar says "Mangai paal undu.. Thengai paal edhukkadi". Vijay explained that Mango's milk is acidic and can cause ulcers while coconut milk heals. But when a person is doing fine with the former, there is no need for the latter. The song also says "Vengayam undu, un kaayam edhukkadi". Vijay quoted a french proverb which can be paraphrased to "Life is like an onion, you cry as you peel off each layer and there is nothing inside at the end".

9. It was time for the question-answer session. Vijay said that although Ayul, Arogyam and Aishwaryam were all important, there is something one can do even if one is not lucky enough to not have these. He would tell us what that was after the Q/A session.

10. In "Ma Kelara Vicharamu", Thyagaraja says Why worry when the Sun exists to ensure my physical health and the moon provides me with mental and emotional well-being. He says this in not so many words but by using the Ravichandrika raga for the song. So that was the final prescription - Don't worry.. Be happy! Vijay Siva ended the concert with his trademark mangalam in the same raga.

11. My apologies to the reader and Sri. Vijay Siva for any errors of understanding or narration on my part. I am somewhat given to hyperbole under specific circumstances and this certainly was one of them.

Variyaar has explained that there is an implied inner (esoteric) meaning to:
"ma^Ngaap paaluNDu malai mEl iruppOrkku
thE^Ngaap paal EthukkaDi..."
For one who has seen the unfading eternal light (ma^Ngaa = ma^Ngaada ) (paal refers to the nectar on seeing the eternal light) and who stays on the pinnacle of yoga (malai), what then is the use of ephemeral delights (thE^Ngaap paal = thE^Ngaada (non stationary/impermanent) paal)) ?
The surface meaning is what VS was trying to explain but let us keep in mind that the Siddhar who wrote those songs are realized souls!

12. You are what you eat. If you eat saatvic food, your nature becomes saatvic. Raajasic or Taamasic food results in the corresponding nature. It takes up to 72 hours for the food to get transformed into its resulting nature. The moon plays an important part in our feeling of well-being and general emotional state. The influence of the moon is at its peak on new moon and full moon days. Ekadasi occurs 3 days before new and full moons. This is why our culture encourages fasting on Ekadasi. This way we can minimize the misery inflicted on us and the misery we transfer to others. In this song Purandaradasa says that one has to be blessed to be fasting on Ekadasi and this blessing is not given to anyone.

Just now listened to this recording on youtube. What soukhyam in the dhanyASi and mukhAri renditions. What spashTam (clarity) in these beautiful renditions. Thanks to both jayA tv and carnaticopia. Sad I don't get to her such music live! I miss the music season.